It is proposed that statements on Anglo-Irish relations shall be made now and notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the following arrangements shall apply: (1) the statement of the Taoiseach and of the main spokesperson nominated by each of the groups (as defined in Standing Order 89) shall not exceed 45 minutes; and (2) the statement of each other Member called on shall not exceed 20 minutes, with the exception of the Minister for Foreign Affairs who shall be called on not later than 3.30 p.m. on Friday 24 November 1989 to make a statement in reply not exceeding 30 minutes. It is also proposed that the Dáil shall meet tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. and shall adjourn not later than 4 p.m.
Order of Business.
I have proposed an amendment to the Order of Business in relation to statements as follows:
To delete all words after "It is proposed" and substitute the following:
That the debate on Anglo-Irish relations shall take place on the following Motion:
That Dáil Éireann affirms its belief that there is an urgent need for the institution of parliamentary and executive structures in Northern Ireland which will ensure shared Government with cross-community support, and calls on the Government to work with the British Government and the constitutional parties in Northern Ireland to achieve this'."
That would be a far more fruitful context for debate than a series of unconnected statements which, as we all know, do not necessarily lead to any responses. My intention is that this House should make a direct, clear statement of its policy on this issue.
I have considered the Deputy's amendment which seeks to have the debate structured by way of a motion in his name. I could not allow such a motion to be moved in Government time. Standing Order 25 provides, inter alia, that the Taoiseach should have the right to determine, by announcement at the commencement of public business, the order in which Government business shall be taken each day. The only amendment I could accept in relation to the proposed arrangement for the making of statements is one seeking to vary the time limits for the statements. A Private Members' motion can be moved only in Private Members' time unless, of course, the Government agree some of their time for such a motion.
I wish to make two remarks on that, Sir. First, in the spirit of getting this House to do its work constructively, I propose that the Government would accept this amendment to the Order of Business. Therefore, from that point of view, there would be no difficulty in changing the Order of the House in the way that I propose. The second point is, Sir, that I will quote a precedent. On 23 June 1987 the then Deputy O'Malley in Opposition proposed an amendment to the Order of Business proposed by the Government that day. You disallowed that amendment only on the grounds that it was the equivalent to a direct negative of what had been proposed. My proposal this morning is not a negative, it is an expansion.
I have nothing to add to my statement as it is quite clear.
In that case the Order of Business is not agreed.
I am putting the question: "That the arrangements for dealing with statements on Anglo-Irish relations be agreed."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 77; Níl, 46.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies V. Brady and Clohessy; Níl, Deputies J. Higgins and Boylan.
Question declared carried.
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Tá |
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Ahern, Dermot.Ahern, Michael.Aylward, Liam.Barrett, Michael.Brady, Gerard.Brady, Vincent.Brennan, Mattie.Brennan, Séamus.Briscoe, Ben.Browne, John (Wexford).Burke, Raphael P.Calleary, Seán.Callely, Ivor.Clohessy, Peadar.Coughlan, Mary Theresa.Cowen, Brian.Cullimore, Séamus.Daly, Brendan.Davern, Noel.Dempsey, Noel.Dennehy, John.Ellis, John.Ferris, Michael.Fitzgerald, Liam Joseph.Fitzpatrick, Dermot.Flood, Chris.Geoghegan-Quinn, Máire.Harney, Mary.Haughey, Charles J.Higgins, Michael D.Hillery, Brian.Hilliard, Colm.Howlin, Brendan.Jacob, Joe.Kavanagh, Liam.Kelly, Laurence.Kenneally, Brendan.Kirk, Séamus.Kitt, Tom. |
Lawlor, Liam.Leonard, Jimmy.Leyden, Terry.Martin, Micheál.McCreevy, Charlie.McDaid, Jim.McEllistrim, Tom.Molloy, Robert.Morley, P.J.Moynihan, Michael.Nolan, M. J.Noonan, Michael J.(Limerick West).O'Connell, John.O'Dea, Willie.O'Donoghue, John.O'Hanlon, Rory.O'Keeffe, Ned.O'Kennedy, Michael.O'Leary, John.O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Gerry.O'Sullivan, Toddy.O'Toole, Martin Joe.Power, Seán.Quill, Máirín.Quinn, Ruairí.Reynolds, Albert.Roche, Dick.Spring, Dick.Stafford, John.Stagg, Emmet.Taylor, Mervyn.Treacy, Noel.Tunney, Jim.Wallace, Dan.Wilson, John P.Woods, Michael.Wyse, Pearse. |
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Níl |
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Ahearn, Therese.Allen, Bernard.Barrett, Seán.Barry, Peter.Boylan, Andrew.Bradford, Paul.Bruton, John.Byrne, Eric.Carey, Donal.Connaughton, Paul. Durkan, Bernard.Farrelly, John V.Finnucane, Michael.Flaherty, Mary.Flanagan, Charles.Gilmore, Eamon.Harte, Paddy.Higgins, Jim.Kenny, Enda.Lowry, Michael.McCartan, Pat.McCormack, Pádraic.McGahon, Brendan. |
Connor, John.Cosgrave, Michael Joe.Cotter, Bill.Creed, Michael.Currie, Austin.D'Arcy, Michael.Deasy, Austin.Deenihan, Jimmy.Doyle, Joe.Dukes, Alan. McGinley, Dinny.Mac Giolla, Tomás.McGrath, Paul.Mitchell, Gay.Mitchell, Jim.Nealon, Ted.Noonan, Michael.(Limerick East).O'Keeffe, Jim.Rabbitte, Pat.Reynolds, Gerry.Sherlock, Joe.Taylor-Quinn, MadeleineYates, Ivan. |
May I ask if the proposal for tomorrow's sitting of An Dáil is agreed? Agreed.
I understand that the Japanese Government have sought to double the number of tourists leaving that country over a period and this coincides with the objective of our Government to double the number of tourists coming here. I want to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of a long documentary on Ireland which was shown on Japanese television. This programme gave only an aerial view of Dublin, portrayed pilgrims at Lough Derg in bare feet as typical Irish peasants and concentrated on the bombings in Northern Ireland. This had a devastating effect——
I do not think the Deputy should elaborate too much now.
I understand the Irish Embassy——
I understand the gist of the subject matter of Deputy Mitchell's question and I will communicate with him.
A Deputy
Just another anti-red neck——
I understand——
I have given the Deputy quite some latitude to deal with the matter?
——that the Irish Embassy have——
Deputy Mitchell may have a chance of ventilating his views on that matter later.
I should like to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to raise a matter with the Taoiseach. He may not be able to give me an immediate response now but I would like him to consider it. Would the Taoiseach consider making Government time available for a debate on the Whitaker report on penal reform. It is over four years since we had the report of the committee of inquiry into the penal system——
That is something which should be raised at another time in another way.
If I may say so, a Cheann Comhairle, I am asking the Taoiseach to consider making Government time available to debate the report on this very serious matter.
The Deputy should put down a question in relation to such matters.
Will the Taoiseach at least consider the matter? That would satisfy my inquiry at this stage.
Deputy John Bruton is offering.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the failure of the Minister for Education to appoint members to the High Education Authority whose failure has led to the situation where the membership of the Authority has been reduced to a bare quorum so that if any member is absent a meeting of the Authority may not take place. May I ask that action be taken——
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning the matter.
With your permission I wish to raise on the Adjournment the problems caused for the construction industry due to the unnecessary delays in An Bord Pleanála because of a lack of staff and the failure of the Minister for the Environment to provide adequate resources to rectify the problem.
I will be in touch with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the lack of adequate policing in Dublin North-East and the problems arising as a result.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the sale of Carysfort College.
I will be in touch with the Deputy.
I seek your permission to raise on the Adjournment the crisis in the farm development service nationally which is holding up the processing of farm pollution grants and the lack of staffing in Teagasc which is having a similar effect on the processing of grant applications.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I seek your permission to raise on the Adjournment the matter which I sought to raise yesterday in relation to the refurbishment of Ballymun about which the Minister gave a categorical assurance in the House last May but which has not been honoured to date.
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning the matter.
I seek your permission again to raise on the Adjournment the serious situation in the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs in that insufficient staff are available to monitor potentially dangerous Christmas toys.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I seek your permission to raise on the Adjournment the crisis in local authority housing due to a lack of funds.
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning the matter.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the drugs haul at Alexandra Basin, Dublin Port, from a Nigerian registered vessel.
I will be in touch with the Deputy concerning that matter.
I seek your permission to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of my Private Notice Question of yesterday. I should like to ask the Taoiseach to give Government time next week to debate a statement by the Minister for Agriculture and Food on his return from a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
That is not in order. I will communicate with the Deputy in regard to his first request.
There was a report in the newspapers today of what was discussed.
The second matter is completely out of order and the Deputy should desist from mentioning it any further.
May I make a point?
I am on my feet and the Deputy will resume his seat.
This House is becoming more irrelevant every day because the Taoiseach is not allowing his Ministers to come into the House and tell us what is happening. It is the Taoiseach who is to blame.
Deputy Farrelly should allow Deputy Durkan to raise a question.
I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment the policy of the Housing Finance Agency in determining the level of repayments in respect of Housing Finance Agency mortgages.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment the glaring defects in the health services on the north side of Dublin and the fact that general practitioners do not have any access to physiotherapy services.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to ask why a building firm in County Offlay who submitted the lowest tender for work on Ballinamere national school did not get the contract? Tenders were again sought but that firm was not given an opportunity to tender again.
The Deputy need not elaborate at this stage. If he is seeking to raise the matter on the Adjournment I will communicate with him.
We find that the job has been given to a firm whose tender was far greater than the other company. What is the reason for this disgraceful waste of public funds?
I should like the permission of the Chair to raise on the Adjournment a question which was refused by the Chair which concerns the presence of an unaccompanied UDR patrol on 7 September 1989 at 5 p.m. on the Armagh to Benburb Road, approximately one mile from Armagh.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to ask the Taoiseach, and the Minister for Justice if they can give an indication of the stage the solicitors amendment Bill is at and when it might be brought before the House.
Was the legislation promised?
It is in train. I cannot give the Deputy an exact date of when it will be before the House but the Whips will be in touch.
Will the Taoiseach give an indication of the stage of preparation? Have the heads of the Bill been agreed? Is it with the parliamentary draftsman?
The Deputy can leave the details to the Government.
It is in order to seek information of this type.
The Deputy has been facilitated. He should remember that this is not Question Time and the Chair has no intention of permitting it to be turned into a mini Question Time.
I was seeking information as to when the legislation will be before the House.
The Deputy has received a reply from the Taoiseach.
It was a very evasive reply. I do not wish to be obstructive.
I must ask the Deputy to desist.
The House is entitled to that information.
I intended to raise a similar question. It seems to me that the Taoiseach should know whether the heads of the Bill have been approved.
These are details of Government administration.
Deputy Bruton is following a matter which I have ruled out of order. I did not realise that.
The Taoiseach has been silenced.
I am an orderly Member.
I did not get a reply to my question.
The Deputy can table a question and he will receive a reply in the ordinary way.
The Chair refused a question I tabled this week.
I am now proceeding with the business of the day. Deputy Farrelly has been rather persistent in recent days in creating disorder at this time.
I am anxious to know how I can get an answer from the Taoiseach.